4 Tips for Hosting Hybrid Gatherings
As we all know, the pandemic has been a disruptor for the way we work. For a lot of companies, a hybrid approach is the right way to balance the various needs of a workforce moving forward.
A recent McKinsey survey suggests that 90% of organizations will adopt some combination of remote and on-site work as they emerge from Covid restrictions. This new model will bring with it a dramatic change in how we meet — a hybrid mix of in-person attendees and remote meeting participants seems an inevitable component of our “new normal.
So how do you plan a successful gathering for a hybrid workforce? Here’s our 4 best practices to make your hybrid gatherings as effective as possible:
1. Treat the in-person and virtual gatherings as separate.
Streaming visual and audio of what’s happening at the in-person gathering to a group of people on Zoom just isn’t going to work. It will make your remote attendees feel like second-class citizens.
To ensure each group of attendees feels valued and engaged, treat the two gatherings as separate events that are designed for the specific setting. Consider what tools and techniques, digital or otherwise, can be used to maximize their interaction with the in-room attendees.
Wanting to host a social that introduces newly onboarded staff to the team and leadership? Consider hosting two events that occur simultaneously around one designated theme.
Example: Invite employees who want to gather in person to attend a culinary experience at a local restaurant. Simultaneously, invite the remote attendees to participate in a virtual food workshop and mail out ingredient kits to them. This will make your remote colleagues feel appreciated, engaged, and give them the same opportunity to break bread with their teammates.
2. Provide strong facilitation by assigning separate hosts for each group.
Assign a host who is responsible for the in-person experience and another to host the virtual group and have them be coordinated. This is essential to ensuring each group feels like they have a strong leader who they can rely on for purpose and direction.
Depending on the purpose of the gathering, you can design moments when the two hosts connect with each other, linking the two groups together with a common purpose.
3. Encourage engagement by connecting people at the beginning and end of the event.
Did you know studies show that people are much more likely to participate if they have participated in the first 5% of a gathering? If you’re wanting to have people speak up, contribute in the chat, and share their opinion, you want to create a way for them to do it within the first 5%.
Instead of hoping, create a norm of openness by starting the event with an invitation to share. Consider a short activity or an ice breaker question. And then have each host present the opening in the way that makes the most sense for their physical or in-person setting.
It can be a simple invitation to share like:
what’s your song of the summer?
what did you do over the weekend?
what seasonal produce are you most excited for this summer?
what’s a movie you recently saw that you’d recommend?
4. Establish a sense of togetherness by making remote participants full sized.
Another way to create a sense of togetherness and give everyone equal stature is to give the remote participants greater presence in the room. Consider projecting visuals of the virtual gathering onto a screen or wall for the duration of the event.
If it’s an important discussion or meeting, consider finding a way to make the remote participants “life-sized”. Research shows these large images help in-person attendees accept remote colleagues as full participants and create a sense of togetherness.
Hybrid meetings have become a permanent part of how companies and organizations function. This brings added complexity to our meetings and reinforces the need to be intentional about how gatherings are designed. By being intentional, thoughtful, and having strong hosts, we have the ability to ensure all participants, whether in the same room or another country, feel valued, engaged and equal.